The Knight and the Mage
by Sara Jaye
Summary: A duet of Azel and Midayle friendship fics. May or may not become more over time.
1. Shared Devotion

I recently found out there was coding for a conversation between Azel and Midayle in the prologue. Naturally, I was inspired.

* * *

"You love her, don't you?"

Either Midayle was the most perceptive man in the army, or Azel was the easiest to read. Probably the latter, Azel thought miserably as he poked the dying campfire with a stick.

"Yeah." He didn't look up. "But you love her, too, right?"

"I..." The arch knight looked down. "She's very important to me, after all, she _is_ my lady."

"Don't lie," Azel said. "We both feel the same way."

Midayle pulled his knee up to his chest, his eyes meeting Azel's as the mage finally looked at him.

"Yeah." He sighed. "I'm sorry."

"Why are _you_ apologizing to _me_? I mean..." Azel stopped, taking a deep breath. "That is, you're...and I'm just..." _You're her devoted knight and I'm just the bastard prince_. "I'm the one who's sorry."

"Azel..."

An uncomfortable silence fell over them.

"Look," Azel finally said, "it won't do us any good to get too deep into this right now. We're both hurting, but she's still missing."

"And sitting here feeling sorry for ourselves won't get her back," Midayle said. "If she's been hurt..." He moved closer, feeling a sudden surge compassion for Azel.

"Let's just concentrate on rescuing her," the prince said. "And we'll do it together."

Midayle gave him a small smile, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah," he said. "That Gandolf doesn't stand a chance! We'll make him sorry he ever came into Grandbell!"


	2. Heartbroken Times Two

Prince Jamuka swept Edain into his arms, and as they kissed, Azel's world shattered.

For years he'd loved her, worshipped her from afar, tried to become the man she deserved. But why bother with all that effort when Jamuka was all that and more? Choking back a sob, Azel ran down the castle's hall-

-and smack into Midayle.

"S-sorry," he mumbled. "I was just-"

"You saw them, didn't you?" The bow knight's eyes were swollen and red, either Midayle had seen them too or Edain had let him down gently herself.

"Yeah." Azel rubbed his eyes. "Did you?"

"No," Midayle said. "I went to confess my love for her, and she told me she didn't feel the same way. Then I noticed the ring with Verdane's symbol on her finger...I don't even know why I was surprised, really." He gave a short, humorless chuckle and closed his eyes, sitting down with his back to the wall. "I mean, I've only had a crush on her since I was first knighted into Jungby's service, and maybe if I'd told her how I felt sooner..."

Azel frowned. All he wanted to do right now was cry his broken heart out and feel sorry for himself until Lex came by to snap him out of it, but seeing Midayle hurting as badly as he was, maybe more, was making it hard to be so selfish.

"At least you would have had a better chance," he said. "You lived in the castle with her and got to spend every day by her side. I only got to visit her once in a while...and she would've said yes to you, anyway, you're a brave knight! I'm just a bastard mageling."

"Bastard or not, at least you have some noble blood in you," Midayle countered. "What good's my common blood for a princess anyway?"

"Well, at least you-" Azel sighed. Arguing over who had it worse would get them nowhere and it wouldn't make Edain suddenly reject Jamuka and run to either of them. "I'm sorry," he said. "You really loved her, didn't you?"

"I did," Midayle said quietly. "Jamuka...he's everything I'm _not,_ you know? Stong, confident, a _prince_, no wonder he swept Lady Edain off her feet so easily."

"And considering _she's_ the reason he joined in the first place, well..." Azel sat down against the wall beside the knight. "I know we should just be happy for them but it's not _fair_, I just...I wish some other girl had caught his eye and made him forget about her!"

"Yeah." Midayle rested his head on his arms, and Azel thought he heard him sniffling. "He's a good person, and I know he'll take good care of her..." His voice broke. "Why didn't I tell her while I still had the chance?! I'm so stupid!" Azel's tears overflowed then, both for his own misfortune and for Midayle's, and suddenly his arms were around the knight.

"So am I," he mumbled. "But...there's nothing we can do about it, is there?" But Midayle's only answer was a choked sob, and Azel fell silent.

For the remainder of the evening they sat there in the hall, crying in each other's arms.


End file.
